A Guide to the United States’ History of Recognition,
Diplomatic, and Consular Relations, by Country, since 1776: The Cayman
Islands

Historical Overview

Early History: The Cayman Islands remained largely
uninhabited until the 17th century. A variety of people settled on the islands,
including pirates, refugees from the Spanish Inquisition, shipwrecked sailors,
deserters from Oliver Cromwell’s army in Jamaica, and slaves. The majority of
Caymanians are of African and British descent, with considerable interracial
mixing. Great Britain took formal control of the Cayman Islands, along with
Jamaica, under the Treaty of Madrid in 1670. Following several unsuccessful
attempts, permanent settlement of the islands began in the 1730s.

Modern Flag of Cayman Islands

The 20th Century: The Cayman Islands, initially
administered as a dependency of Jamaica, became an independent colony in 1959;
they now are a self-governing British Overseas Territory.

Foreign Relations

Although the United Kingdom is responsible for the Cayman Islands’ defense and
external affairs, important bilateral issues are often resolved by negotiations
between the Cayman Government and foreign governments, including the United
States. Despite close historic and political links to the U.K. and Jamaica,
geography and the rise of tourism and international finance in the Cayman
Islands’ economy has made the United States its most important foreign economic
partner. Following a dip in tourists from the United States after September 11,
2001, over 200,000 U.S. citizens traveled by air to the Cayman Islands in 2004;
some 4,761 Americans were resident there as of 2005.